Living in a nation obsessed by the cult of personality as I do (and being ever incredulous at the blandness of its media's chosen "heroes") I got to thinking about the people behind so many of my musical highs. And I thought, of all my own aural heroes, who would I most like to have a beer with?

Leaving aside Richard Sinclair (who I DID have a beer with at the Kent Beer Festival, simper simper), it would have to be Robert Wyatt for me. One of music's rare nice guys, intelligent and erudite and not afraid to speak his considered mind.